Ophthalmic Assistant I

Texas Tech University•El Paso, TX

9d•Onsite

About The Position

Employees in this classification support the Ophthalmology Specialty Clinics by preparing patients for examinations, assisting ophthalmologists during examinations, and helping maintain a steady flow of patients through the clinic. Work is performed under direct supervision. The position is onsite at Texas Tech Health El Paso (TTEP) and is not eligible for remote or hybrid work. TTEP is not considering applicants who require employment visa sponsorship, including H-1B visa holders and people currently on student or postgraduate visas. The role includes greeting and preparing patients, recording relevant information in their charts, performing applicable vision tests, and assisting with examinations and procedures. It also involves clinic opening and readiness tasks, maintaining clean and stocked rooms and equipment, coordinating surgery scheduling and documentation, handling patient calls, and preparing instruments for sterilization. The employee must maintain required licenses, certifications, compliance, and training, follow institutional policies and procedures, and demonstrate TTUHSC EP's values. Compensation depends on the selected candidate's qualifications and departmental budgetary guidelines, in accordance with the institutional pay plan.

Requirements

A high school diploma or equivalent.
Eligibility for certification as an ophthalmic assistant.
Customer service experience in a healthcare setting.
Previous experience interacting with patients.
Knowledge of basic medical terminology.
Experience with Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems.

Nice To Haves

At least one year of experience working for an ophthalmologist.
Bilingual in Spanish.

Responsibilities

Greet patients, escort them to examination rooms, take an initial brief history, and record the chief complaint, medications, and other pertinent information in the chart.
Perform vision screening when applicable and various visual acuity and color vision tests as needed.
Dilate patients' eyes when necessary.
Open the clinic, check daily schedules, and ensure necessary charts are complete and available.
Retrieve test results from other entities as needed.
Assist ophthalmologists with examinations and procedures.
Keep equipment, lenses, and examination rooms clean, neat, and stocked as needed.
Ensure required clinic forms are stocked and available.
Receive incoming patient calls.
Coordinate surgery dates with UMC or the Surgical Center and schedule patients accordingly.
Ensure the surgical facility receives necessary surgery documentation in a timely manner.
Prepare instruments for pickup for autoclaving and sterilization.
Remain current with required licensure, certifications, mandatory compliance, and training.
Follow applicable policies, procedures, and practices, including Regents Rules, TTUS, and HSECEP OPs.
Demonstrate TTUHSC EP's values and promote them among staff across the institution.
Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor, manager, or physician.